2009-10 LECTURE SERIES

Liz Ogbu
Design Campaign Manager
Public Architecture

Wednesday, October 29, 2008
6:00 pm

In the last few years, the issue of "sustainability" has come to the forefront. Within the building industry, green products and certification systems like LEED have witnessed tremendous growth. But it is worth noting that sustainability is usually discussed solely in environmental terms. And without a just, equitable, and enriching cultural life, a purely environmental solution is not sustainable. Truly sustainable efforts depend on a broad strategy that balances environmental and social sustainability. Environmental efforts independent of, or at odds with, basic human needs such as health, justice, and pleasure, will be short-lived at best. This talk will focus on how adopting more holistic views of sustainability can lead to not only a healthier planet, but healthier communities as well.

Liz Ogbu joined Public Architecture in August 2006 and is responsible for design campaign selection, execution, and advocacy. Through various traveling fellowships, she has pursued research projects, primarily in Sub-Saharan Africa, examining the intersections in the socioeconomic and physical spaces of the informal sector. Liz has also been involved with many community focused projects and organizations here in the U.S., including the launch of the Community Design: Now or Never website and its associated symposium; the Mayors' Institute on City Design; and an affordable housing developer in the San Francisco Bay Area. She recently was selected as "Green Giant" by Steelcase, Inc. for her work in promoting environmentally and socially sustainable design. Liz earned her Bachelor of Arts in architecture from Wellesley College and Master of Architecture from the Graduate School of Design at Harvard University.

To learn more, please visit www.publicarchitecture.org

This Archeworks event is hosted in conjunction with OWP/P's 7th Annual Environmental Awareness Week - October 27-31, 2008 and AIA COTE. 

More information can be found at environmentalawarenessweek.com